Misplaced Protection
by Alsa Ravenwood
Summary: After Beckett is injured by a suspect during a chase, Esposito becomes far more protective of her. However, he stops watching his partner's back. How will he react when Ryan is snatched from under his nose? Rated T for swearing and implied themes. Now completely complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle, sadly, or Esposito and Ryan would have a much bigger part.**

It was the same as any other crime, ending with a fast paced chase involving the suspect, Beckett, and to some degree, Ryan and Esposito. The criminal was jumping over holes in the ground, throwing bins and dodging traffic in a determined attempt to lose the team of detectives. This guy had even climbed up to the roof of a small apartment block, pulling himself up the fire escapes with skills that would impress even Spiderman. But, the guy did work part-time in a circus, so it didn't come as much of a surprise.

The three detectives stood face-to-face with the performer, who had pulled a gun from his crotch, and was pointing it at the lead detective. Ryan and Esposito had their guns poised defensively, ready to shoot did harm come to their boss.

"Put that down, Conwell, it makes it obvious to us that you're the man we've been searching for," Beckett reasoned, leaving her gun in its holster. She had her hands up in a surrendering position, as far away from her gun as she could.

"So what if I am? None of you will be leaving here unless it's in a body bag," Mikey Conwell smirked, moving the gun from detective to detective. "So, who do I start with? The chick, the foreigner or the midget? I think I'll leave you until last, Detective Beckett. Make you watch your team bleed to death. Doesn't that sound lovely?"

At this point, Kevin stepped forward angrily, forcing Conwell to turn his gun to the short detective. "Leave my boss and partner out of this, or I'll shoot you where you stand. That's not a threat, jackass, it's a promise," Ryan snarled with such venom in his voice, Mikey's gun twitched nervously before training itself on the detective's skull.

Conwell smiled manically. "Looks like we've got a volunteer, Detective Beckett." His finger tightened around the trigger, and time slowed for every detective.

Ryan felt a pair of muscular arms lock themselves around his waist and drag him to the ground with such harshness, his head slammed to the floor. His vision blurred, but he clearly saw a slender body collapse. There was another gunshot from beside his ear, and he watched the shadow of who he assumed to be their killer fall gracelessly into a pile of crimson blood. Nothing was clear to him, and he panicked when the arms around him vanished, and a tall dark blur moved to the first body. Unable to comprehend the shapeless world, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to sleep.

"Beckett!"

Kate jumped at the call of her name as she struggled to sit up. Esposito crouched in front of her, supporting her in her efforts. She spotted the crumpled body of Ryan, and asked the Hispanic detective, "He hit?"

Javier shook his head. "No. hit his head when I tackled him. Think I must've knocked him out. What about you?" He scanned her body thoroughly, panicking as his eyes found a growing patch of scarlet blood on her forearm.

"Just my arm. It's not serious," Kate insisted, but was cut off by Esposito requesting an ambulance. "We should probably try to get down from here so the ambulance can find us."

Esposito nodded, and helped her to her feet. "Think you can make it?"

"I'll have to. You need to take Ryan. You can't help us both," Beckett shrugged selflessly, and began the descent to the ground.

It was a long, painful journey for both parties. For Beckett, the bullet in her arm was making her weak, although the blood flow was slowing. And for Esposito, he was forced to carry the Irish detective, who was too out-of-it to be of much help. The smaller detective was heavier than Javier would have expected. He would need to drag the smaller man to the gym as soon as he was better.

It was a relief when they made it to the bottom, where there were two waiting ambulances. Kate was ushered into one, while Esposito carried Ryan bridal-style to the other one, easing him onto the gurney and moving back to allow the paramedics access to the injured man.

"Espo, go with Ryan. He needs you more!" Kate called from the gurney, smiling reassuringly just as she was pushed onto her back.

Javier nodded, and climbed in next to Ryan, promising Beckett silently that this wouldn't happen again. Not as long as he was alive.

**I'd appreciate a review, and constructive criticism is welcomed. Just, don't be too harsh please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, wow. I wasn't expecting so many follows. You have no idea how excited I got when I checked my email. THANK YOU FOR READING! I hope this chapter is as good as you'd hoped.**

Beckett was able to return to work the following week, although Gates forced her to take it easy. She was allowed to crime scenes, and conduct interviews, but she couldn't chase criminals. But, that was ok. Esposito wouldn't let her, anyway.

In his eyes, Kate had been hurt far too many times on the job, and he felt someone needed to protect her. She needed his protection more than Ryan, anyway.

The other detective had been diagnosed with a minor concussion, and was forced to stay in hospital overnight. But, the worst thing for him was that he was confined to desk duty for a few days until the head wound was healed, even a little bit.

"I still think it's the hacker. Who else could've made a homemade laser pointer?" Castle argued, glaring at one of the pictures on the board.

"Anyone with the right resources and some free time," Beckett snapped, looking to Ryan or Esposito for back-up.

"You're suggesting the engineer could've done it," Esposito nodded, pointing to the picture of the older man.

Beckett smiled. "Why not? He had all the right things just sitting in his workplace, and I'm sure it would be simple for him. And better yet, no one's seen him at work since the day of the murder."

Castle turned to her with wide eyes. "It's so simple. He's leading us right to him."

The four of them stood outside the engineer, Paul Newman's, apartment with their guns ready. Castle stood at the back with his bullet-proof vest on, listening for movement in the apartment.

"Newman, open the door! It's the police!"

No reaction, so Esposito threw back his foot and kicked the lock of the door, grinning in satisfaction. "Watch yourself, Ryan. You don't want to make the concussion worse." He laughed as the other man rolled his eyes.

Ryan had spent 15 minutes convincing Gates he was fit enough to help the others, and they were sure she had only said yes to get some peace. "There!" he shouted, pointing to the shadow in the kitchen and stepping forward. But, a fat, blood-covered hand made him freeze momentarily.

Newman thundered towards the detectives, a long chef knife clutched between his chubby fingers. His piggy eyes flickered between each enemy, as if looking for a weak link.

"Freeze! Hands up now!" Esposito hollered, removing the safety from his gun. He pushed Castle out the door, then positioned himself in front of Kate.

Paul laughed at the protection, then rested his eyes on Kevin, who was furthest away from the others. The criminal took a series of long, quick strides to the detective. He slapped his hand onto the tense shoulder, and sniggered once more. "So tense, detective. Would you like some muscle relaxants?" he laughed, and punched Ryan with his armed hand, cheering as the blade sliced into Ryan's cheek.

Blood poured down the bruised flesh, poling at the collar of his shirt and staining his skin a deep crimson. With the injury came the dizziness, the nausea and the blurred vision he had become so well acquainted with. Somehow, he was still standing, swaying against the grip like a drunken sailor. He couldn't even call out for help, his tongue feeling about three times the size it should've been. "Espo!" he tried, but the name came out as a pained grunt.

"Now, detective. Who would you save? This fine man over here, or that lovely lady you seem so fond of? You must decide, or I'll kill them both. I would prefer if you save her, it looks like this beauty has quite a mouth on him. Perfect, for… you know. Don't you agree?" Newman purred, kissing Ryan harshly on the lips and caressing his uninjured cheek as though it were the face of a dog.

Javier growled menacingly. "You sick bastard. You expect me to choose between my friends? I choose… both. Take me instead. I won't choose."

"No can do, sweetheart. I'll choose for you. You follow me, I'll kill you all. Even the author behind the door waiting to jump me. You get me? And I'll start with my new toy," Paul snarled, wrapping his arm around Ryan's throat. "Sorry lovely, safety precaution. I can't have you escaping before the fun starts, now can I?" He dragged his hostage with him as he left, knife poised for attack.

As soon as the criminal was out of sight, Kate turned to Esposito. "You should've said you'd save Ryan. I can handle a prick like Newman," she sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose.

"No, Kate. I would never let you be taken. You've been through enough. And Ryan's strong. He won't break. He's been dunked in ice baths for information, but he stayed strong," Javier groaned, chewing on his lip.

Beckett rested a hand on his shoulder, reassuringly. "He'll be fine. We'll get Kevin back. For Jenny and for you. We'll get him back, and Newman can pay like the cruel bastard he is."

**The final chapter will be up by Sunday, as I have loads of homework, and that's apparently more important than FanFiction. I know, it shocked me too.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3. Thanks to those who favourited, followed, reviewed and read :D**

"We've found the signal from Ryan's cell phone. We're going to search for it."

Esposito jumped at Beckett's voice, turning his chair so fast, he almost tumbled from its soft leather grasp. "Thank god," he breathed, while trying to blink away the second Castle. There was a sinking feeling in his stomach, feeding from the fear that his partner might be badly hurt. Or worse.

"Do you think he'll be ok?" Castle asked nervously, voicing the concern the others felt.

For a moment, neither detective answered, trying to force images of a bleeding Ryan out their heads. It was Kate who responded. "Kevin's strong. He won't be broken, not by a nutcase like Newman. Now, let's go before we really think about this."

Javier and Rick knew what she meant. It had occurred to both of them that the cell phone could've been moved, but it didn't appear that the captor had enough brains for that.

The signal lead the trio to an old farmhouse just outside the city. It was small, dirty and most of the roof tiles had fallen off. There was a narrow wooden hut at the side, the door hanging from its hinges. They could vaguely see the banister of a staircase.

"Javier, you check down there, and take Castle with you. I'll look around the house. Call me if you find him," Beckett ordered, removing her gun from the holster and jogging towards the back door.

Esposito turned to the other man and signalled for him to stay back as he made his way down the unsteady steps. A wall of hot air slammed him in the face, and he felt momentarily disorientated. Castle squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, refocusing him.

They heard a quiet groan from the bottom of the stairs. "Javi."

"Kev!" Esposito gasped, and jumped the rest of the stairs. He gasped at the sight before him.

Ryan was bound with cable ties, which cut into his skin and made him bleed steadily. A greasy rag covered his eyes, and a leather belt gagged him. His jacket, shirt and undershirt had been removed, so the dark bruises and fresh cuts were in clear view. He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving.

"Kevin, it's me. I'm going to take off your blindfold now, and then your gag, ok?" Castle reassured, reaching for the cloth and pulling it up over Ryan's head, then throwing it as far as he could. A pair of terrified blue eyes blinked up at the two of them.

"Hey, Castle? Would you call Beckett and tell her we've got Kevin?" Javier requested, pulling out his cell phone and dropping it into Castle's hand. Castle nodded, and strolled into the corner of the room. As soon as he was out of earshot, the detective pulled the tight leather gag from the hostage's mouth.

"Bro," Ryan gasped tiredly, slumping his head down onto his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Kev. I should've tried to save you. Kate can look after herself. I'm an idiot. You're my partner, and I should be protecting you, not letting some creepy murderer get you," Esposito grimaced, undoing the slippery bonds as he spoke. He was unprepared for his partner to dive into his arms, sobbing quietly.

"N-not your fault. It was so scary. H-he did things. Bad things," the latter whimpered childishly, burying his face into the broad shoulder.

"What did he do to you? Ryan?" Javi growled angrily, but the even out breathing told him the other man had passed out.

Castle reappeared quietly, a wide smile on his face. "Beckett got Newman. He's on his way to prison right now. How's Ryan?"

"Traumatised. But, let's get him to the hospital, make sure there's no permanent damage. I hope she killed the prick."

Ryan was back at the precinct two weeks later, pale and tired, but alive. The medical exam had proven that the injuries were far worse than they appeared, broken ribs and internal bleeding making his movements slower and more cautious. He had refused to tell them the rest of his injuries, despite the constant harassment. These seemed to be the ones which traumatised him.

"Hey guys," he sighed, easing himself into his chair, with a sharp intake of breath.

"How're you?" Esposito asked, with a small, subtle smile on his face as he caught sight of his friend.

"Ok. Listen, what you said about… it wasn't your fault. Really," Kevin groaned, smiling weakly.

"Whatever."

"I'm serious, Javi. I should've been able to look after myself. I'm a cop. I'm an idiot. Newman was right."

"No!" Esposito interjected. "You don't listen to a word that bastard said! He's mental. Now, how about a truce, eh? You're not an idiot, and it wasn't my fault. How about it? Truce?"

"Truce."

Both knew this was a lie, but it was a start. It was a start, and Esposito intended to make an end.

**Ok, that's it for now. I've marked it as complete, (hopefully!) but I'm going to start work on an epilogue now that I've got a few days off school (YESSSSS!). If it turns out well, I'll try and get it up at some point in the next couple of weeks. Until then, thanks for reaching chapter 3. Hope I didn't disappoint.**


	4. Epilogue

**Hi, here's the final chapter up. Hope it was worth the wait!**

"Paul Newman, by the order of this jury, we find you not guilty on the charges of murder and kidnap. You were mentally unfit at the time of these incidents, and had no control over your actions," the court foreman, a pale young man with a black eye and messed up tie, droned. His hazel eyes switched between the judge and Newman, fear evident far above the surface.

Ryan turned just as pale, feeling light-headed all of a sudden. Esposito caught his partner by the elbow just as his knees buckled, and sat him down on one of the wooden benches behind them.

The foreman stumbled by them, a noticeable limp. Despite this, he stopped, and smiled weakly. "I-I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop it. T-they made me say it. T-they would have killed me, and him. If there's anything I could do, I would," he stuttered quietly, avoiding eye contact with either of them.

Esposito patted him reassuringly on his shoulder, "It's ok. But, did he threaten you? Did he hire someone? I'm a cop, I can help you. I promise, I won't mention you. You'll be safe."

"No. I-I mean, he did get someone to threaten me. At least, I think so. That's what they said. They mentioned him. But, I can't tell you. I'm sorry. I want your friend to stay safe, I don't care about me," the young man mumbled, bowed his head low, and limped off, thumping his injured leg off the corner of the bench. There was an audible whine of pain, but Esposito ignored it.

"Ryan, we'll do something about it. We'll get him locked away for good," Javi soothed, rubbing the tense back which belonged to Kevin.

Newman approached them with a cocky swagger in his steps. "Now, would you look at that, darling? It appears that the fun we had is not yet over. How exciting."

"You threatened the jury." It wasn't a question from Ryan, it was a statement. One filled with the true hatred that Ryan possessed for the man. But, there was a sense of fear in the tone of his voice, and that unnerved Esposito.

"So what if I did? The trial's over, I'm a free man. You can't do anything about it, can you detectives?" Paul smirked, obviously hearing the terror in Kevin's words.

Esposito butted in, the protective, mother hen side of him taking over. "As a cop, no I can't. But, as a friend of Kevin's, I can do whatever the hell I like. You get that, scumbag? Or, do you want me to spell it out? You, stay away from him, or I'll destroy you. I promise," he sneered, lunging forward until he was in the criminal's personal bubble.

Newman only laughed. "Oh, but that's where you went wrong last time, and that's where you will fail again. If I touch any member of your 'team', you'll protect them. But, what if I make you choose again? Will you make the right decision this time, or will you misevaluate your priorities? Well, Detective Esposito? Not so smart now, are you?"

Esposito knew Newman was right, but couldn't let it show. Not only would it worry Ryan, but it would also lead Newman to believe that was his weakness: choosing between family.

Newman swaggered off, head held high. But, before he left, he grabbed Ryan by the jaw and gave him a long, forceful kiss. The detective squirmed violently, fighting to free himself from the strong grip. Before Esposito could intervene, Paul pulled away and left, a smug grin plastered on his face.

That was the last straw for Ryan. He began shivering violently, and the tears began to fall, slowly at first, but quickly turned into a miniature waterfall flowing down his cheeks. "D-don't let him hurt me. P-please, Javi. Don't let him hurt anyone."

Esposito's heart ached as his partner broke down, bending forwards to hug his knees. "I won't, I promise. Let's get you home, eh?" he suggested, wrapping his arms around the smaller body, and helped him up.

"Y-you do?" Ryan whimpered, looking up with his big blue puppy eyes.

"I promise, bro," Javier reassured, smiling weakly and hoping he looked convincing. And, as he saw Kevin relax slightly, he only hoped this would be a promise he could keep.

**Thanks for reading! Although I haven't actually started the sequel yet, I'm hoping to have it up by about July/August. I'll get it started after I've finally finished my novel. If you're interested in reading my first book, I'm posting a little bit every week on my blog. There's a link on my profile.**


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